During the pandemic, many patients delayed their annual examinations. This number was especially high in our male population. Unfortunately, this delay in screenings has resulted in more advanced prostate cancer diagnoses. “We’re concerned because we’re seeing fewer patients come in for their annual screenings,” says Daniel Lee, MD, MS, a urologist at Penn Medicine. “So when we discover prostate cancers, they’re more advanced than they were or could have been. The more advanced these cancers are when they are diagnosed, the more difficult they are to treat and have a successful outcome.”

It’s very important for men to pay attention to prostate cancer screenings if they are at high risk due to background and/or family history. Men who are age 40 with a first degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age are at a higher risk. Men who are age 45 who have African American heritage or a family history of prostate cancer are at an increased risk for prostate cancer as well. And after age 55, all men are at an increased risk for developing prostate cancer.